Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

कर्मानुसारतस्तानि सेवयंति नराधमाः । केचिदन्ये महेन्द्रादिलोकान्मोक्षं तथा परे

Transliteration

karmānusāratastāni sevayaṃti narādhamāḥ | kecidanye mahendrādilokānmokṣaṃ tathā pare

Translation

Entsprechend ihren Taten erleiden die Niedrigsten unter den Menschen jene höllischen Zustände. Andere gelangen in die Welten Mahendras und dergleichen; und wieder andere erlangen Moksha, die Befreiung.

Word by Word

• karma-anusārataḥ: according to (their) deeds
• karma-anusārataḥ: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: karma (प्रातिपदिक) + anusāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb): 'अनुसारतः' = 'according to'; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः 'कर्मानुसारतः'

• tāni: those (hells/places)
• tāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• sevayanti: serve/undergo/experience
• sevayanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sev√ (धातु: सेव्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• narādhamāḥ: the worst of men
• narādhamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः 'अधमा नराः'

• kecit: some
• kecit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक 'केचित्' = 'some'

• anye: others
• anye: Karta (Co-subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• mahendra-ādi-lokān: from the worlds of Mahendra and others
• mahendra-ādi-lokān: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahendra (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), बहुवचन; 'mahendra-ādi' (तत्पुरुष) + 'lokān' (समासः: 'महेंद्रादिलोक')

• mokṣam: liberation
• mokṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise, thus
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण): 'तथा' = 'thus/likewise'

• pare: others (still)
• pare: Karta (Elliptic subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'परे' = 'others (further)'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not stated in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tripartite vision: sinners led toward dark narakas, meritorious souls ascending to Indra-like celestial realms, and a few moving toward a luminous, formless liberation path.

Characters & Entities

• Karma
• Naraka (implied)
• Mahendra (Indra)
• Loka
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karma determines one’s destination—suffering, heavenly enjoyment, or liberation—so dharmic living aims beyond mere reward toward mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site; the verse sets the karmic framework that tīrtha practices are meant to purify and elevate.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implies that purifying actions (tīrtha-yātrā, vrata, niyama) can redirect karmic outcomes toward higher goals.